Wolverinebass

True. I wonder how many more Spectors you'll have by then?

I didn't say, I'm all good for the date change. Sadly, everyone else's eardrums won't be afterwards.

Pity it wasn't sent insured, or tracked.

Did it not come out roughly at the end of Covid that Ernie Ball was keeping the price of instruments in the US low by price gouging everyone else? I mean, fair enough, if you want a new one go for it, but they're almost double what they were pre covid. I would imagine second hand would be best. However, if you want a better one. About 10 years ago I bought some pickups from Status. The shipping was £20. Imagine my annoyance at the fact they sent them royal mail for 2 quid. Maybe the screws are more cheeky as they cost a lot less.

In truth, I'm waiting for someone to say thay they take it off whenever they play a gig "just in case they get lucky." I found it curious for a while after I got married, but got used it to after a few months.

My view was based on when I pointed this pricing out to Tech21 they replied with a "care" emoji on their Facebook page. Would you not feel patronised at that? If you exclude the ADAM/Photon series, there isn't a Darkglass stompbox type pedal which is more than £400. Now, the g4m price of the XB driver isn't "more reasonable," it's "slightly less evoking the spirit of Dick Turpin." A slight difference of viewpoint I admit, but for a single use stompbox which has no means of flicking between the crossover/parallel/bite functions and has no preset control and for it to cost more than an HX Stomp still after being reduced just seems like robbery. At £350 I'd probably have one. Maybe the bass elite is a good deal. It seems to be in theory. I'd have to play one. I wonder if it'll be like the PSA 2.0 which is fantastic, but didn't catch on because in that case, people assumed it was digital when it wasn’t and didn't buy it.

No, in the last 2 months. Up until the new year it was £620.

Obviously it's come down recently. However, you can buy a Stomp for that which will do that and loads more. There is no pedal on earth that's worth that much when you can't control the settings remotely, nor does it have a stereo input which is an instant fail for its market. Yes, I've played one.

Okay then. If this is $299 and £339 over here, why is the XB Driver $500 and £620 over here? Ooh, look, Tech21 and/or Rocky Road are selectively price gouging us on the more premium products. Just like they did with the Dug amp. $1700 and £2500 here. Until they sort that out, as a company they're dead to me.

I remember trying an Elf into a Vanderkley 2x10 at a SE Bash a few years ago. It was total and utter crap. To get any form of volume out of it you'd either be red lining it the whole time or using it with an 8x10 which defeats the entire point of such a small amp. Fair enough, coffee shop gig. For anything loud, it wouldn't work at all. Zero headroom.

In truth, Ashdown are very hit and miss. I never liked the ABM range at all due to the mix of sliders and knobs. Ironically, I found the MAG series amps more intuitive. The Rootmaster heads are brilliant. The cabs are awful. Just terrible. The treble end voicing is just so off and the low end is hyped to my ears. In 2005 when I was shopping about for cabs as my band was going on tour, I thought about getting an Ashdown ABM 4x10 until I discovered it was 37kg. Er... no. It didn't sound very good either. Fast forward to last year and they're trying to sell the same cab, same weight (20 years later!!!!) For £1400. Read that again. Mental isn't it? They're not lightweight, nor have they changed much in almost 30 years. It's not a Barefaced, Bergantino or anything that's boutique. You'll be giving it away in a year as nobody will buy it for more than 200 quid. The Geezer cabs are more than 2 grand each. For some purple tolex and stencil grill?!! Really?!! Who is going to buy them? As for the pedals. If you exclude the LoMenzo Hyperdrive, (which is absolutely amazing), a lot of the rest are awful. The MegaDrive is so bad nobody is going to get to review it again after that abomination that was the PMT demo. I joked a while back that it was a review that sounded so bad it bankrupted the company. I have no axe to grind here, but in many ways I don't get the fandom. Has anyone in recorded history ever used the sub harmonic generator? The pre shape being on by default except when the button is depressed is an automatic fail to me. Before anyone asks, I use a GK Fusion 1200s and Vanderkley 2x12s. I own and have used a Lomenzo Hyperdrive a lot. I'm probably biased in that I want clarity, precision and what goes in, comes out. Ashdown for the most part, don't do that due to their cabs being so coloured.

About £50 a set. So not Pino Palladino flats expensive, but certainly a bit more than DR.

Well, as you say, there is the nickel allergy. For me though, it's how they respond to distortion. I'm someone who looks for maximum clarity. The preservation of all the overtones and harmonics which you can get whilst playing. Optima's really respond to this and my own style, so that's why I like them. One could also argue that they are surprisingly downtunable and still maintain pitch as well as lasting longer than a lot of other strings. Obviously, if you want to play with a fretwrap, this isn't for you. I don't use them exclusively, but I have tried them on different basses so I know what difference strings can make even within the narrow category of just nickel roundwounds. As ever, it's if you think it's worth it to get more expensive strings or go cheaper or just cheap. It's all about what's important to you. For example, I don't care if Rotosound steels are cheaper, they're still rubbish and die within 4 hours of playing, so I don't buy them.

I have, yes. I started with the 105-45 (2319 set which has an 80). That's really good, but, I ended up preferring the set that has an 85 for tension. They take downtuning very well and doing 3 semitones is possible. Going to C from an E is too, but that's the limit I've found. The downside is the set with the 85 is like a tenner more which is unfortunate. I think it depends how flash one wishes to be. Were one to have an endorsement deal, I'd use them on other basses I have, but since I don't, I just use them on the Status Buzzard a la John Entwistle.

Optima strings are brilliant. I got into them about 20 years ago, for the obvious reason. Playing on my Status Buzzard. They're not cheap of course, but I'd recommend them thoroughly and they last very well.